Betting on the outcomes of sporting events is almost as old a pastime as displaying our athletic prowess on public platforms is! Discover how many different ways there are to spice up your next Tennis match, Football game, or Rugby World Cup.
The Moneyline, or Win, Wager
This is about the simplest bet you can make, and the terms Moneyline and Win are interchangeable. The latter is used almost universally, while the former is more common in the USA. It is also referred to as a Straight wager, but beware here. In America, Straight stakes refer to Point Spreads, a totally different kettle of fish.
Win wagers are so popular because they are so easy to understand and are also considered to be one of the most traditional ways of betting on sports. You can use this stake in almost every single sport on earth. All you need to do is predict who the victor will be.
Point Spreads
This bet is very popular in America, especially for Football. It’s commonly used in Basketball games as well, but you can place it on the outcome of almost any sports event you can think of.
The concept for this wager is slightly different from that of the Win, as you will not be directly betting on which contestant will take first place. Instead, you’ll be staking on which team or athlete will cover the spread. The spread is created by a bookmaker to level the odds between participants. The Favourite will have points deducted and the Underdog will have points awarded.
When you back a Favourite on the Point Spread, you are predicting that they will by a margin that is greater than the size of the spread. When you back the Underdog, you’re guessing that they will either win or lose by a margin less than the size of the spread.
Totals, or Over/Unders
The terms Total and Over/Under are used interchangeably and will depend on where in the world you’re betting from. It’s another very popular, very straightforward wager and is once more available across a huge range of sports types.
The idea behind it is that the bookmaker sets a line for the total number of goals, points, or runs that will be scored in a game. Then you’re given the option on whether the actual total will exceed or be less than this line that’s been set. If you think the final tally will be higher you’ll be backing the Over, if you feel it will fall short you’ll be backing the Under.
In certain sports betting sites, the bookmaker will have set the line at what they estimate the total to most likely end up being. This then becomes very similar to the Point Spread, since the sportsbook is essentially creating a proposition that has a 50% chance of going either way. In this case, the odds for the Over will be almost identical to the odds for the Under. They’ll at the very least be close, so choose your outcome carefully.